Means for holding demountable bodies on vehicles



B. F. FITCH 1,814,304

MEANS FOR HOLDING DEMOUNTABLE BODIES ON VEHICLES July 14, 1931.

Filed Dec. 5, 1950 FIC --1 m1, 73W; aha mf /W,

abtmw I Patented J ly-1 ,1931

UNITED STATES IPATENT OFFICE! BEIUAMIN F. FITCH, OF GREENWICH,QONNEGIICUT, ASSIGNOB TO MOTOR TERMINALS COMPANY, 01 WILMINGTON,DELAWARE, CORPORATION O! DELAWARE mums non HOLDING DEMO'UNTAIBLE Bonuson VEHICLES Application. filed December 5, 1980. Serial in. 500,159.

- My prior Patent No. 1,772,939 shows and claims an apparatus fortransporting freight by means of a demountable body adapted to be placedon a vehicle and held in posi- 6 tion by coacting positioning devices onthe vehicle and body comprising upstanding pro- 'jections arranged onthe vehicle entering socket members formed in the base of the body. Theobject of the present invention I 10 is to provide the (projectionmember for the floor of the car. My positioning members are so mountedthat at any time they may be removed, and leave the car floor suitablefor its original purpose.

To the above end, I

ing member illustrated in the drawings hereof, and hereinafter morefully described and set out in the claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a flat car equipped withmy positioning members for holding two demountable bodies,

- one of such bodies being shown in place; Fig. 2 is a plan of the flatcar and body shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a plan on a larger scale of oneof the positioning members-and a portion of the car floor; Flg. 4 is avertical section through the positioning member and car floor, in aplane indicated bythe line H on Fig. 3.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, A indicates a suitable flat-car having awooden floor and B a demountable body adapted to be placed thereon. Thisdemountable body has downwardly facing sockets b (Fig. 4) in its baseadapted to coact with the projections constituting the presentinvention.

The projecting positioning member of this invention is designated as awhole by the numeral 10. It comp-rises a comparatively large base plate11, preferabl square, to which is rigidly attached a surase 12 ofquadrant s a jectlon 13 terminating in a conical end porprovide thepositionfrom which rises a cylindrical pro-' tion 14. The sur-base 12preferably has a depressed region 15 surrounding a. higher flat region16 which extends in a horizontal plane from the bottom of thecylindrical portion.

The cylindrical portion, the conical portion and the sur-base mayreadily be a single casting and this member may be electrically Weldedto the larger base plate 11. The plate 11 is provided with suitableholes 17, through which may pass bolts 20 extending through the woodenfloor of the car. I have shown four of these bolts adjacent the fourcorners of the base 11. By reason of the supporting surface 16 on whichthe demountable body rests, being at a higher elevation than theextended base 11, the heads on the bolts may be of considerable size andstill clear the body.

The extended base late 11 and the strong bolts at a considerab edistance from each other resist an possible tendency of the positioningmem er to be tipped up about one edge due to a swinging motion of thebody being lowered or to a lateral stress during travel. Some latitudeis allowed in placing the positioning members on the floor of thecarthey may be skewed, if necessary, about the axis of the projection,or thewhole set shifted longitudinally so that there is never anynecessity for the bolts passing in a crack between adjacent planks.

It will be seen that the projectionsmay be readily secured to anyexisting flat car of proper dimensions. When so secured they providevery effective means for bringing to position a body being lowered andholding it against shifting, they also provide fiat surfaces 16 ofconsiderable extent on which the demountable body rests .so that nodamage canbe done to theintermediate region of the floor if it shouldbow up to some extent between the positioners. At least'four of thesepositioners are employed adjacent the four corners-of the rectangularregion to be occupied by each body, but I prefer to add two intermediatepositioners set inwardly of the sides of such'rectangle in the midregion, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The annular-depressed region 15 about the plane surface 16 of thepositioner provides space for suitable marking, such as the name of, themanufacturer or owner, patent number etc.

I claim 1. A device for holding demountable bodies on vehicles comprisina member having an upstanding body wit a tapered top, said member havinga base projecting to a considerable extent in all directions and 9 ingthe dev ce in place.

2. The means for holding demountable bodies on vehicles comprising amember having an upstanding body termlnating in a substantiall conicaltop, said member having a 5 base pro ecting to a considerable extent inall means engaging the projecting base for-holddirections and providedwith openings for.

the passage of fastening devices.

3. A positionin device suitable for mounting on the fioor o a flat carand comprising go an extended flat base plate having openings for thepassage of fastening devices, a sur- -mounting base of smaller contourrigidly secured to the first mentioned base and having a horizontalseating surface above the top 25 surface of the first mentioned base,and an upward projection on the surmounting base. 4. The combinationwith a flat car having a wooden floor, of a positioning device-comrisinga plate carrying an upwardly extend- 80 mg projection terminating in asubstantially conical top, there being a plurality of openings throughthe base, and bolts assing through said base into the wooden oor of thecar. 35 5. A positioning device comprising a steel casting with a base,a cylindrical body and a conical top and an extended base plate to whichsaid casting is rigidly secured.

6. A positioning device of the character '40 described, comprislng anextended base plate having openings for the passage of fasteningdevices, a surmounting base of considerably less area, rigidly securedto the main base inside of the region defined by said open- '48 ings, aprojection rising intermediately from said surmounting base and leavinga fiat margin above the projection a material distance above the top ofthe base plate, said projection having a conical top.

5o 7. A positioning device of the character described, comprising anextended base plate having openings for the passageof fastening devices,a surmounting base of considerably less area, said surmounting basebeing rigid-- 55. 1y secured to the main base inside ofthe re- 'ondefined by said openings, said surmountmg base having a depressed marginand a flat portion in the inside of the margin, and a projection risingintermediately from the 00 flat portion. 7

In testimony whereof,.I hereunto afiix my signature.

BENJAMEIN F. FITCH.

